GUS history? Why GUS and not lacZ?
Mary Elizabeth Davis
davisme at mail.med.upenn.edu
Sat Feb 26 15:01:14 EST 2000
I am long time Drosophila molecular geneticist without a strong
grounding in plant molecular biology. I have a question about the
development of the transgenic reporter genes in plants. As I was
preparing for Monday's seminar in plant genomics I got to wondering why
the GUS gene was developed for use as a plant reporter gene. My
recollection of this during the 80's is that the lacZ vectors were
available and in use prior to the development of the transgenic
technologies in plants; thus I do not know why another marker gene needed
to be developed. Is there a significant level of endogenous
beta-galactosidase activity in plants, thereby requiring another gene?
Is the E coli protein less stable in plants? I have checked in my
genetics texts and on the Web, but have not found an answer. I will
check out a plant genetics text when I am back at work, but if someone
has an answer in the meantime, I would love to hear it.
Thanks for reading.
Mary Beth Davis
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
1146 BRB II/III
421 Curie Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19103-6058
email: davisme at mail.med.upenn.edu
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